Pastor Tami's eNote - January 5, 2024

Dear Messiah Family,

Have I told you lately how proud I am to be one of your pastors? We set large goals for this year’s Christmas offering. We were hoping to come together to fund a fence for the Imara gardens to keep out those pesky elephants and monkeys as well as fund the Totes for Hope mini-food shelf (a ministry of Messiah Church) allowing our Bloom families to get a quick meal or a few basic supplies onsite and when they need it. Our goal was $15,000 for each. Once again, Messiah Church, you far exceed the goals. Imara received $29,300 and Totes for Hope received $27,608. Thank you for being a faith community that shines the light of Christ so brightly into this world making it a better and brighter place for so many.

This Sunday

Doubts. Everyone has them. I know I do. Do you? Do you ever wonder, Where is God when bad things happen? Does God hear our prayers? Does God really love me? Is there a heaven? So for the next six weeks, come join us and let’s wrestle with doubt together.

Pastor Bethany Nelson begins this new six-part series with a message titled Doubt and the Existence of God. Having faith does not mean we do not have doubt. We all have doubts and that’s okay because doubt can lead to a deeper faith. Honest doubt can help us examine our faith carefully and ask, “are the things I believe really trustworthy?”

I was really looking forward to sharing this first message in the series with you but I have been down all week with flu-like symptoms so Pastor Bethany will be stepping in last minute to preach for me. I am so thankful to have a colleague like her who is not only very capable but also understanding and supportive. I look forward to joining you in worship online.

Honoring Our Differences, A Speaker Series

As we continue to work towards becoming the more inclusive faith community that God calls us to be, I want to be sure you know about a speaker series that our Inclusion and Diversity Team has arranged called Honoring Our Difference. It’s designed to help all of us learn more about this important commitment. 

January Topic: Why Does Messiah have an Inclusion Statement?

The first session will be held on Sunday, January 14 in Lakeside East (lower level) at 9:35 am with coffee and treats to discuss: What is inclusion and why is it important for a faith community? Isn’t it enough to just say “Everyone is Welcome Here”? In this session, Pastor Brian Hacklander (Messiah’s Pastor of Congregational Care) and Holly Rice (a member of our Diversity & Inclusion Team) will help us understand the reasons for inclusion and diversity in churches. We’ll discuss what the Bible says about inclusion, the barriers and benefits to being a more inclusive church, and you’ll learn the meaning of the terms diversity, inclusion, equity, equality, BIPOC, and DEI. Childcare is being provided and no RSVP is needed. Click here to learn more about the upcoming speakers in this series. I am very proud of the work our team has done to plan and arrange for this series. I hope you'll plan to us in person. We are looking into making these session available online in the future. If that is something that you would be interested in, I'd like to hear from you. Just respond to this email. 

Family News

This past Wednesday, Messiah member, Bob Anderson entered the Church Triumphant. Bob and Janet joined Messiah in 2006 along with several others from Brunswick UMC. Bob had the gift of helping. He was always so welcoming with his big smile. He was a good listener and willing to do whatever was needed. Bob was an important member of our Messiah Church family and will never be forgotten. A private Celebration of Life service will be held at a later day. Please join me in holding Janet and her family in your prayers for God’s peace and comfort. 

In Christ's love,
Pastor Tami

Tami Luckhardt
Messiah Church Senior Pastor
(763) 473-6968 ext. 103
tluckhardt@messiahchurch.org